DIY arcade "cabinet" - Dumb idea?

[c0nn0r]

Like most sane people, I've wanted an arcade cabinet my entire life. Again, like most people, I do not have the space for one currently, and to be honest I'm not at a point in my life where I've settled down and can start hoarding large heavy bits of gear.

My current arcade fix solution is a CMVS, and a Supergun hooked-up via RGB to a Sony PVM. Look gorgeous in Hori and Tate (love that degauss button). I have a SEGA dual arcade stick pro from Japan, which is essentially an Astro City CP made for SEGA Saturn. I have a DB-15 converter enabling me to get this connected to the NEO GEO and the Supergun. Works great, and I must say is the envy of all my bros ;-)

It would be far easier for me to build some sort of stand for my PVM and arcade sticks out of wood, that I could easily take apart, or just trash when I move again. Cost would be under $100 bucks from what I can see about 2x4 prices.

I recently saw a similar idea to what I've been thinking about - and it was posted as a bit of a joke, but to me the underlying idea seems sound for my use-case.

Here is the pic:

Please ignore the cardboard shrouding (but that's kinda neat in it's own right) and just take a look at how the TV in this photo rests in a simple wooden frame - and that the "CP" is built at a good height for play.

Here is the (to scale, but imperfect) schematic I drew-up a few weeks ago:

Vertical numbers are height in feet, and numbers at the bottom width in inches. The blue line is my eye-level.

- Has anyone done anything similar?
- Are there build-plans online I can use?
- Are there better options to making my own TV stand?
- Are you all going to laugh at me?
- Will someone send me a Street Fighter 3 PCB for free? 8)

 

[BanishingFlatsAC]

Like most sane people, I've wanted an arcade cabinet my entire life. Again, like most people, I do not have the space for one currently, and to be honest I'm not at a point in my life where I've settled down and can start hoarding large heavy bits of gear.

My current arcade fix solution is a CMVS, and a Supergun hooked-up via RGB to a Sony PVM. Look gorgeous in Hori and Tate (love that degauss button). I have a SEGA dual arcade stick pro from Japan, which is essentially an Astro City CP made for SEGA Saturn. I have a DB-15 converter enabling me to get this connected to the NEO GEO and the Supergun. Works great, and I must say is the envy of all my bros ;-)

It would be far easier for me to build some sort of stand for my PVM and arcade sticks out of wood, that I could easily take apart, or just trash when I move again. Cost would be under $100 bucks from what I can see about 2x4 prices.

I recently saw a similar idea to what I've been thinking about - and it was posted as a bit of a joke, but to me the underlying idea seems sound for my use-case.

Here is the pic:
View attachment 32234
Please ignore the cardboard shrouding (but that's kinda neat in it's own right) and just take a look at how the TV in this photo rests in a simple wooden frame - and that the "CP" is built at a good height for play.

Here is the (to scale, but imperfect) schematic I drew-up a few weeks ago:
View attachment 32233
Vertical numbers are height in feet, and numbers at the bottom width in inches. The blue line is my eye-level.

- Has anyone done anything similar?
- Are there build-plans online I can use?
- Are there better options to making my own TV stand?
- Are you all going to laugh at me?
- Will someone send me a Street Fighter 3 PCB for free? 8)

I'm going with option 4. Just go to Ikea and buy a small computer desk. Put the pvm and stick on it. If you want the PVM at an angle buy one of those stands that Yodd posted in the CRT thread. Done.

 

[BLEAGH]

Don't bother trying to put together some kind of approximation. It won't give you the fix you're looking for. Get the real thing or stick to an arcade stick on a desk. Otherwise you just won't be satisfied.

 

[c0nn0r]

I'm going with option 4. Just go to Ikea and buy a small computer desk. Put the pvm and stick on it. If you want the PVM at an angle buy one of those stands that Yodd posted in the CRT thread. Done.

I have a desk already. I'm looking to have a stand-up unit that takes up minimal horizontal space without buying a cab, and is cheap enough for me to scuttle when I move again.

 

[Craig]

I have a desk already. I'm looking to have a stand-up unit that takes up minimal horizontal space without buying a cab, and is cheap enough for me to scuttle when I move again.

Just deal with the desk until you move somewhere with enough room for a cab...

 

[Karou]

shouldn't you be able to find something that needs gutting or is gutted for 100$? then you need less screws? since you would just be adding on.

you got all them toools like a router and jigsaw and stuff? if so do it otherwise no way. I think you'd need a router? I guess a shell is a ab tho?

 

[Westcb]

A lot of people say they don't have room for a cab but seriously it's maybe 25 inches across on most American cabs, and unless you live in a hobbit hole the height should not be a problem. Just get a regular cab. You could always go for a neo mini if space is genuinely that bad off or any other cabaret and just change out boards etc. not doubting your skill set and craftsmanship but unless you have the right tools your idea is going to look like a POS shoved in cardboard boxes like you posted anyways.

 

[ballzdeepx]

I wonder if there is some kind of mount mech that could rotate a big CRT tv in the 27-29 inch range. I would nab one if I could find such a thing.

 

[Jibbajaba]

How do you have room for that but not room for an arcade cab? Cabs have a smaller footprint than a desk, by far.

 

[Kid Panda]

One thing about those old wood cabs, looking down on a monitor actually causes neck fatigue as your neck has a natural curve in it. By tilting your head down you straighten your spine which isn't very good for it. Cabs that either you look dead at, i.e. candy cab or new model woodie like a dynamo or Neo is much more natural for the alignment of your neck. Look at a candy or Neo Goldie and think about where you sit or stand. Neck fatigue sucks during long play sessions.

 

[Monoplay796]

If I could fit my big red into my second story 500 sq ft apartment you sure as hell can get yourself a cab. Unless you really want to do something custom I wouldn't bother.

 

[BanishingFlatsAC]

3ft stand up model? I'm only 5'10" and I'd find that uncomfortable.

 

[Electric Grave]

I got this for like 12 bucks at one of them salvation army places...I saw it on the window case and I just knew it was gonna work. I think it used to be meant for hospitals or Optical tech.

There was also some with a hole in the middle so you could rest the monitor on an angle, pretty cool but I wasn't sure so I grabbed this one.

This days I tidy it up a bit more and I have a supergun on the bottom and a random console in the middle, the top shelf is for sticks if I wanna.

Don't build a cab, maybe better off buying a beat up POS for cheap money, paint it and go from there.

 

[blakeb8111]

Just look around, there's always stuff available for $100 or less, just be patient. Theres a lot of different form factors so if you wait it out you should be able to find one that best fits your space. There's a lot of things you'll need to build your own and the cost will escalate quickly if you really want it to look right. Otherwise stick with a small desk and some nice sticks.

 

[Westcb]

Just look around, there's always stuff available for $100 or less, just be patient. Theres a lot of different form factors so if you wait it out you should be able to find one that best fits your space. There's a lot of things you'll need to build your own and the cost will escalate quickly if you really want it to look right. Otherwise stick with a small desk and some nice sticks.

This...
I can grab this local for 200, you can sell the board for that and have a full cab

Fully works, needs a cap kit and your all set.

 

[Electric Grave]

I'd keep that bezel and markquee and just redo the CP with more In the Hunt art looks awesome, just needs to be cleaned!

 

[GohanX]

An I the only one that thinks that ghetto fabulous Pac Man cab is glorious?

 

[Electric Grave]

...best part is...you can play Pole Position as well and that game plays awesome on those TV Jakks, I mean it, excellent, wish they made a Pole Position 2 version. Mappy plays great, Galaga is the NES rom and it plays great as well, all those are running on the NES setup, I loved it so much I made a custom stick for it and gutted everything, even placed the spinner on the side, I basically put an arcade stick and arcade buttons, used the spinning stick but completely affixed, just for turning and placed a spinner top on it, I wish I had pictures 'cause it came out really awesome...I mean I made this eons ago...when I was a noob...a noob creating magic...that's how much power I have, even as a noob I was already glorious...

Edit: Got 'em!



Edit Note: The RCAs come out as there is a box inside containing the wire so I can just work it back in there if I want to., I dunno why I wanted to use the sharpie and make that line across the footprint of the top...sometimes I just dunno WTF is up with me...anyway..funtimes.

Edit Note 2: I was going to make some decent pixel art for it but I just couldn't decide what to do, it could have been great though but I just made some stuff in PS and never looked back...it was a forgotten project just like tons of others...



I actually miss this, it was my only Robotron & Tempest fix, ATARI Anthology for PC works awesome on this tornado spinner I installed in it at the right hand side under the 3 buttons on the end. Played lots of Golden Tee PC on it, it was my Bangai-Oh buddy, I mean I played the shit out that skittles coffin, it was great.

Edit 3: I actually wanna devote some time to building sticks again but I wanna evolve, get better, get serious with it 'cause I wanna make isolated peripherals, like a Trackball case, a spinner case, a Robotron case, do it up with vector art and make it shine.

There's something to be said about having the right hardware without clutter, having one stick that does it all it's great, it's practical but the experience somehow diminishes, I think just having what you need for the game is perfect, it's the greatest high you can get out of a game for me...and of course being good at the game precedes that no matter what but I'm just saying, playing with the right hardware, button layouts, it's very rewarding.

Edit 4: Oh yeah...I turned that beast into this...still not the greatest idea...I thought of myself as an innovator and I was testing button layouts, came up with this one 'cause I wanted to create a button layout that allowed NEO and CPS2 to work seamlessly, it does work, pretty well too but looking back the regular Astro layout it still is the top best of all, I just thought I could innovate, I took meticulous measurements on all my button layouts, I sacrifice plenty of shoe boxes...and I like my shoes in my show boxes...


There's a morale to all of this...You can be creative, it's great, it's awesome and far more rewarding than anything else, you can turn a turd to gold with the right will...purists can go fuck themselves...make a cab, I always wanted to but never did, I have made dozens of plans, dozens of styles, all in paper, nothing for real, always measuring, always thinking of ideas, I mean I have this real clear vision of what I want but the problem is that ambition is pretty much burnt, I'm not as dedicated as I used to be, I just like to play the games and I'm spoiled 'cause I already have so much.



The fact that the cabs are not ideal didn't stop me and my friend from getting these things all prepped up, those were the first cabs I've ever worked on and if it wasn't because we stripped them bare and worked them from the ground up I wouldn't know 3 shits about cabs. Some people have cabs and don't even know 3 shits about them, nothing wrong with that but I'm just grateful for the experience.

 

[sparksterz]

I made my own cabinet for Mame. It's actually rather satisfying, plus you can make it however you want which is a lot of fun.

 

[DNSDies]

I was thinking of doing something similar myself, but as a slim sit down cabinet that could hold a Sony PVM 20" monitor in a kind of frame mounted at a slight angle on a heavy duty portrait/landscape TV mount like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mount--Landsc...453827025&sr=1-3&keywords=wall+mount+rotating

This thing has a 110 pound capacity, so I assume it could hold a 70lb PVM and mounting frame.

 

[Electric Grave]

Just make a dedicated vert and a hori, PVMs are a dime a dozen these days and you won't have to sacrifice functionality over design.

I have a Saturn Kiosk that I want to put a PVM into, it's gonna be awesome!

 

[BanishingFlatsAC]

Just make a dedicated vert and a hori, PVMs are a dime a dozen these days and you won't have to sacrifice functionality over design.

I have a Saturn Kiosk that I want to put a PVM into, it's gonna be awesome!

View attachment 32281View attachment 32282

Depends on the part of the country. We're fortunate to be around a ton of medical facilities, so these electronic surplus guys end up with a ton of monitors when the hospitals upgrade. Other parts of the country are bone dry on this stuff.

 

[Electric Grave]

Ah, I didn't count on that...

 

[Westcb]

Depends on the part of the country. We're fortunate to be around a ton of medical facilities, so these electronic surplus guys end up with a ton of monitors when the hospitals upgrade. Other parts of the country are bone dry on this stuff.

^truth, i have had zero luck finding a PVM locally. I wouldn't care to pay a premium to get one with decent hours on it, but those eBay listings are such a crap shoot. Almost always have no or terrible pics so hard to tell if thy even work, and if you get boned with a dead one good luck on shipping it back for way too much money.

 

[DNSDies]

I got my PVM via DotMed, and they'll usually work with you on shipping.
Their prices have gone up considerably compared to September 2014 when I got my 20" PVM for $150 shipped from Seattle to Sacramento, though.

These RGB monitors are big in demand these days.